Caitlin felt the way she did after being given a blast of nitrous oxide at her dentist’s office. She wanted to say thank you, but she found herself strangely tongue-tied by Glass’s praise. She was almost never starstruck, but years of hero worship couldn’t be easily hidden.

With a fluid motion Glass raised her camera and shot a photo of a mallard coming in low for a shallow landing on the water. “What’s it like being with a politician?”

“Penn? He’s no politician.”

“He’s not?”

Caitlin laughed. “He’s a crusading lawyer with a savior complex. And a part-time novelist. Deep down, he’s just a boy who wants to save his hometown.”

Jordan smiled at Caitlin’s candor. “Can it be saved?”

Caitlin shrugged. “I didn’t think so, once. But now I think maybe it can. I’ve promised to try to help him.”

“Good for you.” Jordan let her camera rest against her chest. “But if a crusading lawyer with a savior complex is anything like a crusading FBI agent with one, I don’t envy you. At least you can work alongside Penn. That’s something I really can’t do, except by little charades like this one.”

Caitlin tried an encouraging smile but felt as though she’d failed.

“I guess you ought to call me Jordan,” said Glass. “After my overshare back there.”

Caitlin laughed with relief. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I spent some time on Nexis last night. I couldn’t find any Examiner stories about the murders Henry has been covering.”

“These old cases have been Henry’s private preserve, so to speak,” Caitlin said, reddening with embarrassment. “But I actually hired Henry yesterday. He was supposed to start writing for me today. But then … last night happened.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Usually very close with information, Caitlin felt a powerful urge to confide in her childhood hero. Surely Jordan Glass would have sage advice for her. And yet … could she trust Jordan not to reveal the conversation to her husband?

“Do you always tell your husband everything about your work?”

Jordan smiled. “No, ma’am. I do not.”

“Does he think you do?”

“He pretends to think that.”

It was Caitlin’s turn to smile. “Does he tell you everything?”

Glass shook her head. “If John told me everything he knows, he could be charged with treason.”

“I see. Penn and I operate by a similar set of rules. We keep our two careers as separate as possible.”

“Yet you’re both here today.”

“More separate than together today, to be honest. And we’ll split up as soon as we get back to the hospital.”

“Which brings me back to my question. What are you going to do now? Pick up where Henry Sexton left off?”

You bet your ass I am. “Isn’t that what you’d do?”